The Wrongfully Convicted May Get State Money

OLYMPIA, Wash. (AP) — A state House fiscal committee has heard public testimony on a measure that would allow people who were wrongly convicted to seek compensation from the state for the years they lost behind bars. If passed, Washington would join 27 states, the District of Columbia and the federal government with similar laws on the books. Under the bill, compensation would mirror those of federal levels — a wrongly convicted person would receive $50,000 for each year of imprisonment, including time spent awaiting trial. An additional $50,000 would be awarded for each year on death row.